Fire-escape



(No Model.)

T. T. CHURCH. FIRE ESCAPE.

N 2 220; Patented Nov.

l/V VE N TOR ""Illullw WITNESSES N PETERS, PhaloLilhugmphr. Washmg un. n. c.

.. UNiTEn STATES PATENT FFICEO THOMAS T. CHURCH, or roar HAMILTON, NEW YORK.

Fl RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 289,220, dated November 27 1883.

Application filed January 27,1883. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS T. CHURCH, a

' citizen .of the United States, and a resident of the same.

a so

My invention consists in certain novel combinations and constructions of apparatus, that will be herein fully described, and then specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the front of a building, showing my improved fire-escape applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of a bracket supporting the track or way. Fig. 3 is a side View of the pulley-block and brake. Fig. 4 is a View at right angles to the view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a belt designed for use by persons making use of the fire-escape. 5

A indicates the horizontal track or' way, upon which the pulley-block and its attachments are shifted, and B B brackets or supports for said track or way, designed to support the same at a considerable distance from the front of the building. I prefer to make this track or way of a steel rope or cable, and to support it near the top of the wall or under the eaves, so that it will not be readily seen.

0 indicates the pulley-block, which is designed to be shifted to any point horizontally on the front of the building by the aid of the track or way A, and is for this purpose hung from a traveler, D, of any suitable construction, by a swivel, d, preferably double, as shown, which latter allows the block to "turn freely, so that the traveler can be readily shifted in either direction from the ground by the ropes depending from the block without causbelt to be described, passes over the pulley in block 0, and through an elongated way or tube, G, connected to or forming a part of the block C. The interior of said way is corrugated, as

shown at H, and a correspondinglycorrugated brake, K, pivoted on the block, works against the rope through a perforation or slot in the guideway, the corrugations or wavesurfaces assisting the brake in taking hold of the rope. The brake is worked from the ground by a depending cord, M, which latter, in the present instance, acts upon the brake through an independently-pivoted lever, L, the latter serving to increase the power and facility with which the brake may be applied. The brake is withdrawn from the rope E whenever the cord M is slackened by a spring, N, which latter is also connected to the lever L, as shown, so as to also assistv in withdrawing the cam or bearing portion of the latter from engagement with the brake. As will be seen, the brake is applied to the down side, Z, of the rope E, or

the side from which the person making use of the escape is supported. This is important, inasmuch as it avoids the tendency of the under side of the block 0 and its attachments to swing upward and derange the operation, which would be the tendency if said brake were applied to the other side of rope E. It is also important that the brake should form a part of the pulley-block and be shifted there with, since if it were supported at any fixed point as, for instance, at some central point beneath the track A-the placing of a weight upon the rope would tendtodraw the pulleyblock and the person supported thereby into vertical line with the brake apparatus and seriously interfere with the operation of the apparatus in case flames were escaping from the windows of the structure.

Fig. 5 illustrates one form of belt that may be used by persons making use of the apparatus, and consists of a strap, P, designed to go around the body above the center of gravity, and two or more bands, R, to go between the legs. A stout hook or ring, S, is provided for connection with the hook or ring on rope '13.

When the apparatus is not in use, it can be placed to one side, out of the way.

The hook or ring on rope can be easily brought to any window of the building by shifting the pulley horizontally to the proper point and raising the hook on rope E. By means of the brake, parties may be then lowered quickly and safely to the ground, said brakebeing operated by persons on the ground.

Any desired construction of brake may be used, provided it be suitably connected to or mounted on the traveling pulley-block, and provided with attachments whereby it may be operated from the ground.

What I claim as my invention is 1, The combination, with the outer wall of a building, of a horizontal track or way, a traveler supporting a pulley, and a brake applied to the down side of the rope passing over said pulley, as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the horizontal track or way applied to the wall of a building, of a swiveled pulley-block and a brake supported by or mounted on said pulley-block.

3. The combination, with the pulley-block, of the guide tube or way connected to or forming a partthereof, and provided with corrugations, and a similarly-corrugated brake-block bearing upon the rope through the side of the tube.

pivotedbrakeK, pivoted in the block, and

bearing on the rope through an opening in the guide-slot, and the independent lever L, also pivoted on the block, and bearing at its shorter end against brake K, while its longer end is connected with the depending cord M.

5. The combination of the pulley-block, the pivoted brake K, the pivoted lever L, bearing against the brake, and provided with a depending operatingcord, and the intermediate spring, substantially as and for the purpose described;

6. The combination of the horizontal rope A, the carriage D, the swiveled pulley-block O and brake, the depending endless rope E, provided with a hook, ring, or similar device,

brake.

7 The combination, with the block G, of the corrugated guideway G, the pivoted brake K, having corrugations corresponding to those in the guideway, as shown, and the lever L.

' Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day of December, A. D. 1882.

THOS. T. CHURCH.

\Vi tnesses \VM. H. BLAIN, THos. TOOMEY.

* and the operatingcord M, connected to the 

